1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light emitting semiconducting devices and, more specifically, to a light emitting semiconductor device that is sensitive to pressure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices are used in many different applications, including diodes, transistors, light emitting devices and sensing devices. While such semiconducting devices can be considerably more efficient than their macro-scale electrical counterparts, they still use a considerable amount of energy. Such energy usage can result in several disadvantageous phenomena, such as increased heat output and shortened battery life.
Emulation of human senses by electronic means has long been a significant challenge for robotics and other computer applications. The sense of touch is especially hard to mimic, since such emulation would require massive pressure sensor arrays that are highly sensitive, have high spatial resolution and a fast response. A touch pad is one example of a pressure sensor. However, typical touch pads lack the resolution of the nerve endings in skin by many orders of magnitude.
Several examples of pressure sensor arrays employ assembled nanowires, organic transistors or micro-structured rubber layers that sense changes in capacitance or resistance. Such systems have been mapped strain distribution in a matrix format at a resolution in the order of millimeter-scale. However, human skin has a resolution of better than 50 μm. Without such level of resolution, many sensor systems are severely limited.
Therefore, there is a need for pressure sensor arrays having high resolution.